A gobpobatioh



H. H. WILLIAMS.

FILLING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-3.1918. I

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W/ T/YESS H. H. WILLIAMS.

FILLING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED 0120.3. 1918.

1,817,534. Patented 8...... 30,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FE @TATEb PATENT @FFTQE HERMANHi VTILLIAMS, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,ASSIGNOR TO NQBTHRUP, KING 6t (10., 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ACORPORATION.

FILLING-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent. j gmqgmfl gd g s, 3% 19919,

Application filed. December 3, 1818. serial Ito. scales.

To all whom it ma concern;

Be it known tiat I, HERMAN H. W1n- LIAMs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resldent of Minneapolis, county of Hennepln, State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filling- Racks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

In filling display cabinets or cases with filled seed packages, it hasbeen the custom to pick the packages out of the storage cases or boxesin which the packages are piled, one upon the other, and in variouspositions, and arrange these acka es in suitable pockets within the dispay cabinet. I have lo'und that such a procedure involves considerablelabor and an unnecessary loss of time.

The clerk has to make so many unnecessary motions in picking out thepackages from the bones and arranging them before placing them in thecabinet that only a comparatively few cabinets can be filled in one dayby each clerk, and where a large number of cabinets are sent out andeach cabinet contains a variety of seeds, it has been customary toemploy a large force to select the packages and fill the cabinets.

The object of my present invention isto provide a means for handlingthese filled seed packages which will save considerable time and laborand thereby enable each clerk to fill a much larger number of cabinetsin a given time and hence the work can be per formed with a much smallerforce of clerks.

A further object is to provide a means for filling the cabinets whichwill enable an inexperienced clerk to do the work with but little dangerof error.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specificatlon,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a filling rack embodyingmy lnvention,

Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectlonal view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a-detail view of a port on of the front of the rack, showinghow the packages are identified and the means-employed to indicate howmany packages are to be selected of a particular seed for the cabinet,

Fig. 4: is a sectional view of the supports or uides for the seedpackage tray,

lug. 5 is a perspective view of the tray inwhich. the packages are kept.

In the drawing, 2 represents the rear legs of the rack, of which theremay be any suitable number, according to the ion h of the rack. Theselegs are connected y bars 3 arranged in parallel relation with asuitable space between them which determines the distance between thetrays in which the seeds are kept. 4 represents the front legs of therack, which are upwardly and backwardly inclined from their lower totheir upper ends and these logs are connected across the front of therack by bars 5 which hold them in parallel relation and in their properposition with respect to the rear legs 2. The opposite bars 3 and 5 areconnected between the legs by suitable guides which consist preferablyof bars 6 having centrally arranged longitudinal tongues l formedthereon and projecting upwardly, preferably from end to end of the bars.These bars are arranged in parallel relation, suitably spaced apart, andthe adjacent bars form supports for a tray 8, preferably of metal, inwhich the seed packages are laced. These trays are shallow, with uprig tside walls turned out preferably at their upper edges to form flanges 9and the bars 3 being on a higher level than the corresponding bars 5 atthe front of the rack; the tra supported by these bars and the bars 6 wi1 iii consequence be inclined forwardly and downwardly. The trays arereferably open at one end and have a closed end 10 which is seatedagainst a block 11 at the lower ends of the supporting bars 6, as shownin Fig. 2, and when the trays are in this position the upper ends of theseed packages therein will project above the trays and be visible to aperson standing in front of the rack and the name of the seed on thelower package in the tray can easily be read.

till

These trays, filled with the seed packages of various kinds, two or moretrays being filled with the same seeds, are placed on the supportingbars 6, being removed from the storage racks for that purpose. I This isprearatory to filling the seed display cabinets. he rack may be ofsuflicient len th to contain all the variety of seeds whic the clerkwill place in the cabinet.

I prefer, when the tray is placed in the rack, to fasten the top of oneof the packages, as indicated at 12, to the bar 5 adja- -cent the traycontainin slmilar packages,

so that the clerk at a g ance' cansee what seeds are in the tray in therear of this bar. I also prefer to provide a card holder 13 .secured tothe front bars and adapted to contain a card 14 on which a number isplaced to indicate to the clerk the number of packages to be selectedfrom the trays 1n the rear and placed in the cabinet. For 1nstance,referring to Fig.3, the rackis shown as equipped w1th two rows of trayscontaining beet seeds, the top of one of the beet packages bein securedto .the front of the rack as an in icator of the contents of theadjacent trays, while the card bearing the number 4 is contained in thecard holder near by as a reminder to the clerk that four beet packagesare to be selected for the display cabinet. An inexperienced clerk maytherefore be employed to fill the seed cablnet and can readil determinehow many packages of each kind of seed are to be selected for thecabinet.

As shown in Fig. 2, the backward lnchna tion of the forward portion ofthe rack provides for the exposure of the lower packages in each tray"and the clerk, standing 1n front of the rack, can determine at a glancewhat kinds of seeds are in the trays with out the necessity of stoopingto examine'the contents of the lower trays,

The rack is so made that the clerk, standing directly over the lowertrays, can look down thereon and ascertain the kind of seeds in thedifferent trays. The inclination of the trays is such that when thelower packages are removed, those above will slide down by gravity andmaintain a constant supply'at the lower end of each tray until all thepackages have been removed. As shown in the drawing, the horizontal rowsof the trays have spaces between them of sufficient depth to allow theconvenient end wise removal of the forward packages from theirrespective trays.

In filling the cabinet (not shown) it 1s moved on a suitable support infront of the rack and parallel therewith and the clerk as the cabinet ismoved along, selects and contain. seed packages placed on end therein,said trays being arranged in rows, one above the other, withthe upperends of the packages of seeds ex osed above the tops of the trays, theinc ination of the trays feeding the packages forward by avity as thelower ones are removed, the ower end of each tray and the forwardpackages therein'projecting in front of the corresponding end of thetray above, whereby a person standing upright in front of and near therack can read the labels on the packages in each vertical row of trays,said rack being open at the rear to allow the rear ends of the up ertrays to overhang the corresponding on s of the lower trays.

2. A rack com rising upright rear legs and bars arrange at intervalsbetween them,

forward legs upwardly and backward] inclined and bars connecting saidforwar legs across the front of the rack, said forward bars being belowthe level of the corresponding rear bars, inclined bars connecting thecorresponding forward and rear bars, seed package trays seated upon saidinclined bars and having their lower ends adjacent said forward bars,the packages of seeds in said trays feeding forward by'gravity as theforward ackages are removed and each tray throug the inclination of saidforward legs projecting in advance of the tray above for the convenientexamination and removal of the lower ackages in a tray.

3. A fil ingjrack comprising a frame, a series of comparatively shallowseed ackage trays mounted in said frame an forwardly and downwardl agesof seed exposed above the to s of the trays, the forward and downwarinclinainclined therein, said trays bemg arrange 1n rows, one above theother, with the upper ends of the pack tion of said trays feeding thepackages forward by gravity as the lower ones are removed, said frameincluding forwardly and downwardly inclined bars. whereon said tra s areloosely seated, the front of said rac receding from the bottom towardthe topto expose the labels of the seed packages in each lower trayin'front of the; corresponding packages in the upper trays said traysbeing of substantially the same length and the rear ends of the uppertra s overhanging the corresponding ends of t 1e lower trays and all thetrays being interchangeablein said rack. p

4. A filling rack comprising a frame, a series of seed package traysmounted in said frame and forwardly and downwardly inclined therein,said trays being adapted to contain seed packages placed on end therein,said trays being arranged in rows, one above the other, with the upperends of the packages of seeds exposed above the top of the trays, theinclination of the trays feeding the packages forward by gravity as thewardly and downwardl inclined bars arranged in parallel relation andhaving opposite rabbeted edges wherein said trays are seated.

5'. A rackcomprising upright rear legs and bars arranged at intervalsbetween them, forward legs upwardly and backwardly inclined, and barsconnecting said forwird legs across the front of the rack,

examination and removal of the lower packsaid orward bar's being belowthe level of the corresponding rear bars, seed package trays supportedbetween said forward and rear bars and having their lower ends adjacentsaid forward bars, the packages of seeds in said trays feeding forwardby gravity as the forward packages are removed, and each tray throughthe inclination of said forward legs projecting in advance of the trayabovefor the convenient ages in. a tray.

6. A filling rack comprising a frame, a series of seed package traysmounted in said frame, one above the other and forwardly and downwardlyinclined'therein, said trays being open at the top and adapted tocontain-packages of seeds placed on end, one against the other therein,the upper ends of the packages projecting above the tops'of the traysand the inclination of the trays feeding the packages forward bygravityas the lower ones are removed, the horizontal rows of said trayshaving spaces between them of sufficient depth to allow the endwiseremoval of the forward packages from their respective trays, the frontofsaid rack recedpose the labels of the seed packages in each lower trayin front of the corresponding packages in the upper trays.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26 day of November,1918i HERMAN WILLIAMS.

. ing from the bottom toward the top to, ex-

